Deliverance from the Cross — Page 53
can be no doubt that Joseph and Nicodemus must have continued to minister unto Jesus in the strong hope of reviving him as nothing had happened that day which could persuade them to believe that Jesus had truly died. He was a young man of thirty-three, of good physique, enjoying good health right up to the moment of his apprehension and condemnation. It is true that a crown of thorns was placed over his head (Matt. 27:29), which, though irritating and painful and causing him to bleed, could not have brought about his death. He was put upon the cross in the afternoon of Friday and had to be taken down from the cross before sunset, in accordance with the law of Moses, which the Jews were anxious to observe, as their failure to do so would bring upon them God's displeasure. In such circumstances the device adopted of compassing the death of those who were still hanging upon the cross at the approach of sunset was to break their legs, but the legs of Jesus were not broken, so that when he was taken down from the cross all his limbs were in good condition. The omission to break the legs of Jesus was obviously a part of the divine plan to rescue Jesus from the accursed death which his enemies were anxious to bring about. It should also be remembered that though the word burial has been applied to Jesus, there was no actual burial involved. He was placed in a sepulchre which was like a chamber hewn out of the rock (Mark I 5:46). 53